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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pit — a hole
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. capital — money
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — all right
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. capital — a city
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fine — high quality
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — to push
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com